Portable reciprocating air compressor units are commonly used in a variety of applications where it is necessary to convert electrical current into mechanical energy in the form of pneumatic pressure. Due to their portability and relative efficiency, such compressor units are highly practical for use in industrial, construction and maintenance, commercial, farming, or similar settings where electrical circuits are available and where large amounts of mechanical energy are needed. Portable compressor units are also used widely by consumers in home workshops, garages and for remodeling projects. Nail guns, staplers, paint spraying equipment, caulking guns, impact wrenches, and sanding equipment are examples of the types of tools that can run on compressed air supplied by a portable reciprocating air compressor unit.
Such compressor units are generally rated to draw specific levels of electrical current from the electrical circuits to which they are connected during operation. However, the size or power of a compressor unit that can be connected to a given electrical circuit can be limited by the current capacity of the circuit. This is especially true where multiple apparatuses are to be connected to a single compressor unit for simultaneous operation or where multiple air compressor units or a combination of air compressor units and other types of electrically-driven equipment must be connected to a single circuit leg and must each draw electrical current from the same circuit simultaneously.
Due to their portability, such air compressor units are often chosen so that one compressor can be used for multiple types of applications. However, different applications can require significantly different levels of energy from a compressor unit. The use of a smaller or less powerful compressor unit can result in an insufficient amount of pneumatic energy being available for larger or heavier duty applications. Conversely, a larger or more powerful compressor unit can, in addition to exceeding the current capacity of the connected electrical circuit, require an amount of energy to operate that is far in excess of what is necessary for lighter duty applications.
Even if the connected electrical circuit has a sufficiently large current capacity to operate larger, more powerful, or multiple compressor units, the use of such compressor units or equipment combinations may make it impossible to simultaneously run additional electrically-operated equipment from the same electrical circuit. This is due to the fact that the combination of the one or more compressor units and additional electrically operated equipment may surpass the current capacity of the electrical circuit. Thus, it may be necessary for a user to employ multiple air compressor units that are appropriate for different circumstances or to have multiple air compressor units in the user's inventory which require different levels of electrical current for operation.